(RNS) A Catholic priest who recently took charge of a San Francisco parish has said only boys can be altar servers, a move that is sparking both criticism and praise and comes amid a wider debate over conservative concerns that the Catholic Church has become too “feminized.”
As media coverage of the controversy at Star of the Sea parish began to build in recent days, the Rev. Joseph Illo defended his decision in a statement issued Monday (Jan. 26), saying he decided to make the change last November, a few months after he became pastor. He cited two main reasons for the switch:
The first, he said, is that “boys usually end up losing interest (in altar service) because girls generally do a better job.”
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“I think a lot of the people who are upset are not parishioners,” Bye said.
Illo also said he believed the new policy would not only boost vocations to the priesthood but would also bring in more new members than they are losing. “We have seen an overall increase in numbers and the income is up,” Illo said.
